Keeping One's Way
by Daxemon
Summary: Sequel to "Finding One's Way". Drake and JJ are now an established couple. Let's see what problems they have to deal with now. Drake/JJ
1. Choices

**Title:** Keeping One's Way

**Author: **Daxemon

**Fandom: **FAKE (yaoi)

**Pairing/Characters:** Drake/JJ

**Rating:** M (for later chapters)

**Warning: **MAN ON MAN SEX – I can't say it any clearer people if you don't like it don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fake, but if someone was willing to steal it for me, I wouldn't mind. Otherwise it belongs to Ms. Matoh.

**Chapter 1 - Choices**

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!!" screamed JJ as he stormed out of the office he shared with Drake plowing through Dee and Ryo as he barreled down the hallway with a murderous look on his face.

"Whoa." said Dee as he watched JJ storm away. "Looks like the honeymoon is over."

"Dee." Ryo said giving Dee his patented look of disdain.

"What?"

"Hey Drake. Ah...is everything okay?" asked Ryo as he stepped into the office the diminutive platinum headed detective vacated post haste a few moments ago, Dee of course not far behind.

"Hey Ryo." Drake greeted looking very perturbed.

"What's up dude? Lover's quarrel?" Dee questioned without preamble as he dropped his lanky form into JJ's chair.

"DEE!"

"What?...But they are -" Dee defended, before being cut off by Ryo.

"Sorry Drake...but _is_ everything okay?" asked Ryo looking at his friend with concern.

"Yeah everything is fine." Drake said plastering a not so convincing smile on his face.

"Bullshit." Dee murmured as he planted his feet on JJ's desk, getting very comfortable.

"Dee...behave." Ryo scowled. Sometimes he swore he wasn't just raising one child.

"No it's okay Ryo. He's right. JJ's pretty pist-off at me right now and I don't blame him." Drake said as he dropped down bonelessly into his chair, looking completely drained.

"So what's going on?" Dee asked dropping his feet to the floor and leaning forward with actual sincere concern written across his features for his long time friend.

Drake looked up and his eyes drifted from Dee to Ryo and back, obviously not sure if he really wanted to talk about what was going on between him and JJ. He knew without a doubt he could trust them to be quiet about it, seeing as no one else in the precinct knew about him and JJ and it was coming up on a year already and _that_ was exactly the problem. Their one year anniversary was in a month and JJ wanted something that Drake wasn't sure that he could give, not yet anyway, especially the way he wanted.

"Well...JJ wants...for our one year...-" Drake fumbled.

"Look Drake if you can't talk about it that's-" Ryo began seeing how uncomfortable Drake seemed, but was soon cut off by Dee.

"He wants to announce to the world that you two are doing the happily ever after, right?" Dee said with all seriousness.

Drake just looked on in stunned silence as Ryo responded to Dee's question.

"Dee I don't think-"

"Yep, pretty much." Drake answered, cutting Ryo off.

"Thought so, but I bet it's not just the whole tell everyone thing. Could it be how he wants to do it? He wants to throw an anniversary party doesn't he Drake, with all the trimmings." Dee stated more than asked.

"Yeah like we're some old married couple. How the hell do you know that?" Drake asked with a frown.

"Remember I went to the academy with JJ. He told me all about his wish that one day after finding the man of his dreams and they were together for a year...solidifying their union... that he would throw a big party to announce to the world their love. You are in a helluva a lot a trouble. I wouldn't wanna be you. JJ's been looking forward to this since he was fifteen and you're it Drake-y ma boy." Dee announced getting up from JJ's desk with a smirk plastered across his face. "Good luck." Dee said heading out the door chuckling.

"I hate your partner and all that implies." Drake said turning to look at Ryo.

"He's your best friend." Ryo replied.

"He's your boyfriend." Drake retorted as he and Ryo turned to look at the empty doorway where both their significant others had disappeared through.

Drake wandered from one end of his tiny apartment to the next listlessly. The day had gone from bad to worse. JJ barely spoke to him except to answer him in a hollow, emotionless, monotone voice when they had been called out to a crime scene. He kept it so professional it was like talking to a stranger. There were times Drake wanted to grab him and kiss him breathless just to get a JJ - like reaction.

Later after they got back to the office and end of shift came, JJ practically jumped out of his chair and wished Drake goodnight and just before he left through the office door, he made sure to let Drake know that he wasn't to be expected to come over that evening. Unofficially letting Drake know JJ wanted him nowhere near his apartment that night, much less his bed.

Drake knew they had to get this situation resolved before the month ended or their anniversary would be ruined and he knew that would break JJ's heart and that would be the last thing he would ever want to do, but what JJ was asking for he wasn't sure he _could_ do.

As Drake made his umpteenth pass across his living room he heard his doorbell. "Who the hell?" Drake questioned seeing that it was almost 1 a.m. "Who is it?" Drake asked as he reached his door and was about to look through his peephole, when he heard a familiar voice, that he was actually pretty surprised to hear.

When he opened the door there was JJ on the other side, doing his level best not to look directly at Drake.

"Can I come in?" he asked quietly.

"OH!...Yeah, yeah sure." Drake stuttered coming out of his state of shock and stepping out of the way for JJ to come into the apartment.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem."

Soon an oppressive silence began to fill the room as Drake stood by the door after having closed it and waited for JJ to say or do something. 'Why was he there?' Drake wondered. 'Isn't he still mad at me? He didn't speak to me all day unless he absolutely had to, so why is he here now?'

"I couldn't sleep." JJ said seeming to read Drake's mind and snapping Drake out of his thoughts.

"Really? Neither could I." Drake responded.

The silence enveloped them once again and soon neither of them could take it anymore.

"I know I'm being childish-." JJ shouted at the same time Drake said, "I don't want you to be mad at me-."

"Sorry you go first." JJ acquiesced.

"No I want to hear what you have to say." Drake countered.

"Fine." JJ said as he slipping out of his coat and handing it to Drake who took notice that JJ was still dressed in his pajamas.

'I guess he really couldn't sleep.' Drake thought distractedly as he hung up JJ's coat.

JJ walked over to Drakes old, but comfortable couch and sat down, bringing his knees up to his chin and wrapping his arms around his pajama clad legs, but before he started speaking he gestured for Drake to join him.

"I'm sorry about the way I've been acting lately. I know I've been unreasonable and childish. It's just -...nothing. I'm just sorry." JJ finished and then tilted sideways rested against Drake and sighed, looking completely defeated.

"You really wanna do this thing don't you? Since you were fifteen...you've be planning this, right?" Drake asked resting his head on top of JJ's platinum one.

"Dee right? I noticed as I was leaving that they were heading your way."

"Yeah. He told me all about it and I know how much this means to you, now, but I still just don't know JJ. A party, our friends and...family. It's a lot to ask for, I don't know if I can give you what you want. But..." Drake paused.

"But?" JJ encouraged.

"Give me some time and I'll let you know. Don't give up on me yet." Drake said turning to face JJ and seeing his face light up with unbridled hope. "JJ...I'm not making any promises, so please don't look so happy."

"I can be happy if I want, I have you don't I?" JJ said as he leaned up to kiss Drake lightly on the lips. "Thanks...I'll try not to get my hopes up too much, but thanks for still trying."

"Your welcome." Drake said as he leaned forward capturing JJ's lips in a slow, deep and breath stealing kiss, before suddenly breaking it and JJ soon found himself being picked up and thrown over Drake's shoulder. "This is what you get for showing up in just your pj's." Drake said as he threw JJ unceremoniously on his bed where JJ bounced lightly.

"I could have come over here in full body armor and this is probably where I would have ended up you horn dog." JJ replied grinning as he slipped out of his pajama top.

"When your right, your right." Drake said as he grabbed the ankles of JJ's pajama bottoms and yanked, revealing the fact that JJ had zero underpants on, which to Drake was of no surprise at this point in there relationship. Anyway it was more convenient this way, less to take off.

Drake loved seeing JJ naked, his body was so gorgeous and in shape. His skin pale and perfect except for the small scar on his left shoulder, where a year ago he was shot by a suspect that they had run down and cornered in a warehouse. Drake didn't like to think how close he came to losing JJ that day, so he pushed the thought away and concentrated on the gorgeous man lying naked before him.

During the past year they were together Drake discovered that he loved exploring JJ's body, trying to discover new places to exploit that would make JJ create those skin tingling sounds that he was prone to make once Drake found an especially sensitive spot.

Drake slowly made his way up JJ's naked form leaving kisses along the way. Starting from his ankle, past his firm toned calves and further. He stopped to flick his tongue behind JJ's left knee where he knew JJ was especially sensitive as well as ticklish. Doing that brought a flurry of laughter from JJ and then a deep moan as Drake had moved on to forcefully suck on JJ's inner thigh leaving an angry red love bite behind.

Drake wanted to take things slow, but it had been while since they had been together, with arguing all the time and their work load having more than doubled in the last week. Having JJ now naked and compliant JJ writhing underneath him and making all those delectable sounds was making his already rock hard erection twitch with anticipation within the confines of his jeans.

"JJ." Drake panted as he hovered over the man in question.

"I know, me too." JJ replied panting and reaching under the pillow where he knew the lube was waiting.

Drake coated his fingers and prepped JJ as best he could with the way his hands were shaking and how hazy his thought processes had become. Soon JJ whimpered that he was ready and reached down , pushing Drakes jeans and boxers down just past his hips not bothering to take them off, just freeing Drakes already dripping erection.

JJ wrapped his legs enticingly around Drakes waist, helping him guide his swollen shaft to JJ's well prepared entrance, where Drake swiftly buried himself to the hilt, deep inside of JJ. After a few minutes Drake had JJ practically screaming his name and clawing his back as he thrust over and over into JJ, striking that sensitive bundle of nerves deep inside him. JJ's orgasm was so powerful that he buried his face into Drakes neck and unconsciously sunk his teethe in breaking the skin.

Feeling the twinge of pain and the exquisite pleasure of thrusting over and over into the man beneath him brought Drake to his climax so suddenly, that it caused his body to break out all over in goosebumps and hyper sensitized his skin, causing all the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Afterwards he slowly lowered himself down onto JJ and then slid off to the side, so as to not crush the smaller man beneath him and wrapped JJ into his arms, snuggling close, both of them falling into a deep, satisfied sleep.

The next morning Drake woke up to the sensation of someone softly touching where his shoulder met his neck and then a mild stinging sensation which increased imperceptibly into a full blown burning. The burning sensation soon subsided but not before he was awoken by it, to find JJ sitting next to him with the First Aide Kit in his lap.

"Good morning." Drake grinned moving his arm to reach out for JJ, but was stopped.

"Please don't move, I need to finish disinfecting this, after the fact, and then put a bandage on it." JJ explained.

"Put a bandage on what?" Drake questioned, not remembering JJ biting him.

"I sorta bit you while we were...you know." JJ half heartedly explained as he placed the bandage on Drakes wound.

"Oh you mean while we were screwing each others brains out." Drake said yawning. "What time is it?"

"Must you be so crass, and it's 4:37 in the morning." JJ harrumphed as he packed the First Aide Kit up and placed it on the floor next to the bed.

"For someone who's seems so open about sexuality especially your own. You sure seem like a prude sometimes...it's cute." Drake said sleepily.

"Do not." JJ denied.

"You are so sexy, it should be against the law for you to pout like that." Drake stated leaning up an pecking JJ on those same pout - y lips.

"Keep talking like that and I may have to pull out the First Aide Kit again." JJ said smiling down at Drakes sleepy face.

"Come here." Drake said pulling JJ down next to him. "Today's your day off and I don't have to be in until 6 o'clock tonight to cover for Marty, so let's go back to sleep." Drake murmured.

"Why are you covering for Marty again?" JJ asked as he allowed Drake to coil himself around him.

"Kayla, his daughter, is in some school play or something. So I said that I would cover for him so he could go." Drake explained.

"You know, you really are a great catch. I'm glad that I made you realize how much you love me." JJ said repressing a yawn as Drake wrapped his left arm more possessively around JJ in response, both falling soundly back to sleep.

The next day after sleeping in and having a little morning fun. Drake packed an overnight bag and around 2 o'clock in the afternoon they headed over to JJ's and spent the rest of the day together until Drake had to leave for the night shift he was covering.

When Drake reached the 27th he bumped into Marty on his way out.

"Hey Drake, you don't know how much I appreciate this dude." Marty gushed as he hurriedly put on his coat.

"Not a problem, just make sure you give her a standing – o for me." Drake said slapping Marty on the shoulder as he headed to his office.

"Will do!" Marty yelled back hustling out the main doors.

Once Drake got to his office he settled in for a long boring night hopefully and started in on the pile of files and paperwork on his desk that he had not been able to get to in the past week. After a few hours he was satisfied with the dent he had put in the wall of paper and decided to take a break and go get some coffee from the break room and maybe go for a smoke too. As Drake poured the black sludge that passed for coffee into his mug he heard someone enter the break room.

"So how's everything at the ol' homestead, still status quo?" said Dee as he sauntering in with a smug look on his face.

"What the hell are you doing here Dee?" Drake as irritably.

"I'd say from that tone...that would be a yes on the no nookie scale." Dee said filling two mugs with some of the coffee sludge. "Do they honestly call this stuff coffee?" Dee complained offhandedly as he poured.

"What business is that of yours Dee?" Drake said resting against a nearby filing cabinet.

"Well first of all we are being forced to drink this stuff so I would automatically think that we had a right to -" Dee babbled away.

"Not – the – coffee." Drake cut Dee off. "Anyway not that it's any of your business...we made up."

"So you off the hook?" Dee asked with a crooked smirk making its way across his face and a look that said he already knew the answer.

"Not exactly."

"I knew it." Dee laughed. "You can never say no to him can you? You wimp." Dee laughed good - naturedly.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you. When it comes to Ryo, you're like an obedient pet around him."

"Damn right! I would do anything for my Ryo and damned proud of it, huh!" Dee said proudly.

"Whatever." Drake said rolling his eyes. "Anyway I didn't know you and Ryo were pulling a graveyard shift. Weren't you guys in this morning?"

"Yeah and I feel like shit, but we got a huge break on one of our cases and we gotta wrap it up tonight, so we can pick up the perp tomorrow." Dee answered. "Why are _you_ here? I thought it was your day off." Dee questioned taking a sip from one of the mugs and grimacing.

"Covering for Marty so he could go to Kayla's play." Drake explained while also taking a sip from his own mug and regretting it. 'This stuff is disgusting.' he thought, but still took another sip of the too strong sludge.

"Oh yeah, that was tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Well I gotta get back. If I take any longer with this supposed coffee, I think Ryo will chew my head off. Funny how cranky someone can get when lack of sleep and exhaustion begin to set in." Dee said.

"Later." Drake said as he too headed back to his office arriving just in time to hear his phone ring. "Parker. Yes sir, I'm on it." Drake said hanging up the phone. 'So much for a quiet night.' He thought as he headed out into the darkness.

_**A/N – Hey everyone here is the promised sequel to "Finding One's Way". Hopefully I'm able to live up to the expectations of my previous fic and I don't disappoint. Well I hope this first chapter was to your liking and more will be coming. **_

_**Later**_


	2. Gamble

**Title:** Keeping One's Way

**Author: ** Daxemon

**Fandom: ** FAKE (yaoi)

**Pairing/Characters:** Drake/JJ

**Rating:** M (for later chapters)

**Warning: ** MAN ON MAN SEX – I can't say it any clearer people if you don't like it don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fake, but if someone was willing to steal it for me, I wouldn't mind. Otherwise it belongs to Ms. Matoh.

**Chapter 2 - Gamble**

'Why do criminals always want to make things _so hard_.' Drake thought as he drew his weapon and took cover behind the door jam in the dim hallway of the dilapidated apartment building. JJ would not be happy if he got shot tonight, with their anniversary coming up, if Drake got stuck in the hospital for it, let's just say being shot would be the least of Drake's worries.

"I JUST CAME TO TALK! CAN'T WE JUST TALK?!" Drake yelled into the apartment as he prayed for back-up to get there soon.

"SURE!" yelled the voice from inside, before a barrage of gunfire erupted from inside the apartment splintering the wood near where Drake stood, forcing him to duck for cover.

"Shit!" Drake swore as he was dusted with bits of wood.

"STINKING PIGS!"

Drake really wondered what his luck was to be working the one night that the Chief needed someone to bring in Chuck. Chuck a.k.a. Charles Michaelson was wanted for two counts of first degree aggravated assault. It seems that Chuck had a bit of a temper and didn't really know how to reign it in at times. Chuck was well known down at the 27th, he'd been brought in dozens of times for being involved in more than one bar brawl or another, which was more than likely started by him. It seems that Chuck chose the wrong people to assault that night and those people who were attacked by Chuck, had decided to press charges and it was up to Drake to bring in Chuck. Although now it now seemed it's not going to be as easy as past arrests.

"COME ON CHUCK! YOU KNOW YOUR JUST MAKING THIS WORSE FOR YOURSELF!" Drake said trying to defuse the situation.

"NO I'M MAKING IT HARDER FOR YOU...COP!" Chuck spat just before he let off a round.

'Was that a shotgun blast?' thought Drake as he took cover. 'He didn't have that before. Shit how many guns did he have in there?' Drake realized that if he didn't calm this guy down before things got worse the situation would spiral out of control and quickly, there were kids in the neighboring apartments.

"Chuck...look it's me, Drake. You know from the 27th?"

"SO WHAT?!"

"You know me, you know us at the 27th. Have I, we ever steered you wrong? I just need to talk...seriously. So why don't you just let me come in there and we could talk?" Drake tried.

"I'M NOT STUPID! I KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE! THOSE TWO FAGS THAT I GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH TONIGHT! THEY PROBABLY WENT RUNNING TO THE POLICE, HUH?! AFTER I TAUGHT THEM A LESSON?!" Chuck half screamed.

"Well I don't know about that, I just wanted to talk to you that's all." Drake lied.

"BULLSHIT!" Chuck yelled and stood from his prone position behind his battered coffee table, which he had turned on it's side for cover. Chuck prepared to let off another round when the shotgun suddenly jammed. "SHIIIIT!" he screeched in frustration as he tried to unjam the gun.

Drake saw his opportunity and launched himself into the tiny apartment and prayed to God and all that was holy that the gun didn't unjam before he got to Chuck. Suddenly it was like time stopped and everything was moving in super slow motion. He saw, in the seconds before he reached Chuck the muzzle of the shotgun raised to fire after it had been successfully unjammed. It was too late now to stop. Drake launched himself at the suspect full throttle and prayed that God was on his side when he felt his body slam into Chuck's and the shotgun go off not but a few inches from behind his head.

As they slammed to the floor together Drake heard the shotgun hit the floor and skitter off to his left, even through the incessant ringing in his ears that the shotgun had caused and from the angle his head was turned as he gulped in the air that was knocked out, back into his lungs he saw that luckily the hand gun that Chuck was initially using was still on the ground by the coffee table. It took Drake all of a few seconds to ascertain the situation before he sat up and while Chuck was disoriented, quickly flipped him onto his stomach cuffed and mirandized him.

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and may be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you do not have an attorney one will be provided for you." Drake panted. "And if your lucky you'll get one that's not a complete moron." he added for good measure as he stood up and grimaced in pain. His entire right side was hurting like hell and he felt light headed. As Drake steadied himself he heard sirens in the distance and thought, 'well better late than never' and promptly passed out.

"... six bruised ribs and a mild concussion, but he should be okay. He'll be in a considerable amount of pain, but I'll prescribe something. We'll be able to release him tomorrow morning, but he needs to stay tonight for observation until then."

"Thank you Doctor."

"No problem. If you need me you can just have the nurses station page me."

"Will do. Thanks again."

Drake heard the tail end of the conversation through a fog of pain and painkillers, he couldn't even identify the voice that was talking to the doctor, but he knew it sounded _really_ familiar. It seemed the little run-in he had with Chuck put him in his current predicament, but he wasn't shot and that was all pluses across the board as far as he was concerned.

Soon Drake heard footsteps coming closer and he slowly opened his eyes to see who it was and regretted it, when the light in the room caused his head to spin and his already abused stomach to lurch. It felt like daggers were being stabbed into his eyes, pulling a groan of pain from him, which caught the attention of the person in the room.

"Drake?"

"Ryo?" Drake murmured as he raised his right hand towards his face and felt his ribs protest the movement in turn making his roiling stomach make up it's mind that keeping food down was the last thing it wanted to do. "I'm gonna hurl." Drake said before he leaned over the bed and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the floor.

"Nice." Dee grimaced, entering just in time to see Drake throw up. "I'll go get a nurse." Dee said backing out of the room looking a little green around the gills himself.

"Here." Ryo said going around to the other side of the bed and handing Drake a cup of ice chips. "The doctor said that you might be a little nauseous and disoriented when you came to."

"He did, did he?" Drake rasped, his throat now dry and raw, gratefully accepting the cup Ryo offered. Slowly Drake's eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the room and soon was able to open his eyes completely without feeling like the world was going topsy turvy. "Thanks."

"You gave us quite a scare there when we came on the scene. We heard the call come in and couldn't believe it was Chuck."

"Well believe it." Drake grunted, as he felt his abdominal muscles twitch, aggravating his damaged ribs. "Shouldn't you be at home Ryo. You and Dee have been on the clock all night, right?."

"Yeah, but when Dee heard it was you...well he kinda insisted we come back you up. We were practically out the door on our way home when the call came." Ryo informed Drake.

"Sorry, I guess what I did was pretty stupid, not waiting for back-up."

"You got that shit right!!" Dee shouted entering the room with one of the maintenance crew right behind him to clean up the mess Drake had made of the floor. Within minutes the floor was cleaned up and it was just Ryo, Drake and Dee. "If you didn't already have a concussion, I would hit you so hard in the head that you would definitely get one. Don't ever go into a situation like that alone...ever again or you'll have to not just deal with me-"

"But with me." said JJ from where he was standing in the doorway, looking furious. "Drake. Emanuel. Parker." JJ said stalking into the room stiffly, eyes on fire.

Dee could sense when JJ was about to blow his stack and from the way his eyes glittered, concussion or no concussion, Drake was about to get it, but good. Although it would be highly amusing seeing JJ completely lay into Drake. Dee thought it best to make a hasty exit, stage right with Ryo in tow, so that they didn't get caught in the cross fire and anyway _he was freaking_ exhausted. "See ya guys." Dee said as he grabbed Ryo by the wrist, dragging him out the room. "Later."

"Dee!" Ryo yelped in shock as he was forcibly dragged from the room. "Bye Drake." Ryo exclaimed just as he was dragged completely out.

After Dee and Ryo left, the room was silent for a while before Drake decided to break the silence.

"JJ-" Drake began, but was cut off by JJ murmuring something, but Drake didn't quite catch what he'd said. "What JJ, I didn't hear that?" Drake said trying to see JJ's eyes, but his bangs were obscuring them completely with the way he had his head angled downward.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" JJ shouted, looking up with tears streaming down his face, fists clenched at his sides.

'It's a good thing this is a single room.' thought Drake as he flinched from the sheer decibel level of JJ's reaction.

"How could you do something so incredibly stupid?!"

"JJ-"

"I come in for my shift and the first thing I hear after showing up is that your in the hospital after having a run in with a gun toting Charles Michaelson, which to me is fucking baffling, but then I go and find out that the reason you ended up here is that you didn't wait for back-up, but went in on your own after the fact! Luckily on my way here Ryo contacted me and let me know that you weren't riddled with bullets and that...and that...you would be fine." JJ said finally petering out as his emotions overtook him and he wrapped his arms around himself and started sobbing.

As Drake watched JJ fall apart, it finally occurred to him that JJ may have thought that he had been shot or worse and that in his haste to get to the hospital he hadn't been fully informed until Ryo had taken it upon himself to inform JJ as to the real situation. 'I'll have to thank Ryo later.' thought Drake as he pictured JJ's sprint to the hospital.

Drake sat forward and slowly reached out to grasp JJ's left wrist, even though his poor bruised ribs protested the movement. He gently pulled JJ toward him and enfolded him in his arms even though it hurt like hell. "Sorry." He apologized softly into JJ's silky hair.

It took JJ a few minutes to pull himself together and by the time he was done, Drake's hospital gown was soaked on the right side and JJ's eyes were red and puffy.

"Feel better?" Drake asked as he gingerly scooted over and made some space for JJ.

"Yeah I guess." JJ replied after he sat on the edge of Drake's bed. "How bad is it?" he asked.

"Well the concussion is not severe, but my ribs feel like they might as well have been broken." Drake explained.

"Well at least you're better off than Chuck." JJ stated, while reaching out and taking Drake's hand that was resting on the bed next to him.

"What do you mean?" asked Drake confused.

"You gave him four broken ribs and he still hasn't regained consciousness, last time I checked." JJ informed Drake as he pulled out a handkerchief from his pants pocket and blew his nose gustily with his free hand.

"I guess I kinda overdid it, huh?" Drake said sheepishly.

"You shouldn't have been in that apartment in the first place. You should have followed procedure and waited for back-up in a situation like that Drake."

"I know that JJ, but you didn't hear the screams and cries of the kids in the apartments next door. I just wanted to keep the situation from escalating and an innocent bystander getting hurt."

"I understand that, but what about you? You could have been injured a lot worse than you were. If Chuck had gotten lucky..." JJ said not being able to finish.

"I know. I'll try not to take unnecessary chances in the future, but I'm not making any promises JJ. You know for yourself that the job sometimes asks for us to take some risks right?" Drake said as he ran the thumb of the hand JJ was holding in a soothing motion along the back of JJ's hand.

"Yeah. I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier when you hear that your partner in more ways than one, is in the hospital after coming face to face with a gun wielding lunatic." JJ said looking up at Drake with a somewhat resigned look on his face. "I better get going, the Chief is not going to be too happy when he finds out I ran out on my shift." JJ said as he slid off the bed, noticing the yawn that Drake had fought back.

"Do you really have to go?" Drake asked finally loosing the battle with yawning.

"Your tired and need some rest to recuperate after what you've been through. I'll be back to check on you tonight." JJ said as he slid on his sunglasses to hide his reddened eyes from his earlier bought of tears.

"Fine, but...come here." Drake demanded as he yanked JJ forward kissing him soundly, but not without aggravating his bruised ribs.

JJ raised his hands and placed them on both sides of Drake's face and deepened the kiss. The kiss held all the relief and fear that JJ had felt, it also held all the love that he felt for the man in the hospital bed before him. He felt Drake slide his right hand into the silky strands of hair at the nape of his neck and slowly began pulling JJ forward and further onto the bed. It seemed that Drake's libido was none the worse for wear given what he had just been through, but he needed rest and JJ needed to get back to the office before the Chief sent out a search party for him.

"What do you think you're doing?" JJ asked breaking the kiss and stopping his forward progression with a hand to Drake's chest.

"Nothing...well I thought that since I did have this room all to myself."

"You're incredible, you horn dog." JJ said pulling out of Drake's grasp and stepping back out of his reach. "Goodbye."

Drake knew JJ was right and his ribs did feel like they were on fire, but that kiss was just to inviting to pass up the opportunity. 'I guess I am a horn dog.' Drake thought, but JJ was the only exception to _that_ rule.

"Get some rest and I'll come back tonight."

"Okay." Drake agreed as he settled down and pulled the blankets up, within moments he was asleep, even before JJ had left.

JJ quietly walked over and placed a tender kiss on Drake's forehead before he adjusted his sunglasses and headed out, back to the office a most decidedly irate Chief.

After a couple of days the mystery as to why Mr. Charles Michaelson was in said possession of a handgun and a Sawed-off was resolved. It seemed that Mr. Michaelson had a _friend_ who didn't have anywhere else to leave his property when he was to spend some time upstate as a resident of the penitentiary system and decided they didn't need anymore problems and directed their _friend_, Mr. Michaelson, as to where to find the weapons and to keep them safe till their return to civilian life.

Being as inebriated as he was Chuck actually thought it was a good idea that since he had the guns in his possession that he could use them, since he was sick and tired of spending nights in police drunk tanks and he wasn't going there that night after he'd just done everyone a favor and beat up those two "fags" for just being in the bar, with regular everyday folk.

Once Mr. Charles Michaelson regained consciousness and revealed this information. _He_ was then informed that he wouldn't have to worry about spending anymore nights in a precinct drunk tank. He would most likely be joining his "friend" upstate as a guest of the state for aggravated assault, as well as attempted murder of a police officer. On top of that the weapons found in his possession were highly illegal and he would be doing an extra bid for having them. Chuck would be going away for a while. Those four broken ribs that Drake gave him were now the least of his worries, by far.

"I actually feel sorry for the the idiot." Drake said as he nursed his one beer allowed for the day, since he was still on painkillers, as he lounged on JJ's couch watching TV, propped up by a thousand pillows that JJ insisted on piling up to make sure his ribs didn't ache. He actually wasn't in as much pain as he was a few days ago, but it seemed his concussion was having a hard time saying goodbye. He still got dizzy if he stood up, whether it was quickly or slowly. The world tended to tilt to the side for a second or two.

"Drunk or not, idiot or not, he still tried to shoot you Drake and you _are_ a police officer of the great state of New York."

"Don't do the crime if you can't take the consequences." Drake stated draining the last of his beer and looking at the bottle mournfully, knowing that was it for the day even though he wanted another.

"Exactly and isn't it "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time"?" JJ asked from where he sat on the other end of the couch with Drakes feet on his lap.

"Same ol', same ol'." Drake said yawning. It was actually pretty early in the day, Saturday actually, so JJ was thankfully home, but the painkillers were doing a number on his energy reserves. He couldn't wait till his ribs healed enough that he didn't need to take them anymore. He hadn't gotten to see JJ even after they had released him from the hospital. Dee and Ryo were the one's who'd shown up to get him from the hospital, with specific orders from JJ that he was to be taken directly to JJ's place, no arguments.

Because JJ had run out on his shift the other day, the Chief was on the rampage and made it clear to JJ that the only reason he was to leave the precinct until his next day off was if he was sent out to a crime scene or the building was on fire, and maybe not even then. So since he had gotten to the apartment, Drake had only seen JJ during the evening and not long because the painkillers would knock him out as soon as he would take them.

Now they finally had some time together and here he was trying not to fall asleep.

Soon JJ noticed that Drake was doing his best to keep his eyelids from drooping, but was quickly loosing the battle. "You know what I'm really tired. I'm gonna head in and take a nap, you okay?" JJ asked getting up and putting Drake's feet back on the couch where he'd been sitting.

"Actually I think I'll join you. These damn pills." Drake said as he gingerly stood with JJ's help, his hand pressed lightly against his tender right side. "I think their more meant for you to sleep through the pain than actually to stop the pain."

"I know what you mean." JJ agreed, remembering when he had to take similar pills when he had been shot in the shoulder about a year ago.

After JJ had gotten Drake comfortable in the oversized bed with more than enough pillows he climbed in and placed another longer body pillow between him and Drake, allowing him to be as close to Drake as possible without bumping his still healing side, which held quite an interesting collection of dark purple bruises.

"JJ you might as well not be in the bed." Drake stated eyeing the profusion of pillows around and between him and JJ.

"Trust me you'll thank me later. Until your side stops looking like someone took a baseball bat to it, the pillows will remain. Until then get comfortable." JJ stated snuggling into the body pillow.

Drake understood that JJ was just trying to make him comfortable, but not feeling JJ curled up to him was something that he was not used to at all. He loved waking up to his nose buried among platinum strands in the morning and to hear JJ's steady breathing, while he was still deeply asleep. Although he did have his own apartment still, Drake stayed over at JJ's more than he did his own, so the feeling of not having JJ next to him while he slept was very foreign.

Also the fact that they hadn't had sex in about five and a half days and yes he was keeping track, was driving him up the wall. Since he and JJ started going out, their sex life had never waned, but seemed to get progressively more intense, so being unable to physically be with JJ because of his injury, as well as the Great Wall of pillows preventing him from even being able to touch the man he loved...he basically felt like screaming, but between his medication and the wonderful fluffy cotton cocoon that JJ had created for him was quickly making him fall asleep.

"You better get your rest too." Drake said stifling a yawn. "Because once I'm completely healed I will be making up for the last five days." Drake said just before he fell off to sleep.

JJ frowned not understanding what Drake meant, but just shook his head and settled down to take a well deserved nap.

**A/N – Hey everyone well here is chapter 2. For all those of you who wanted this and is still following this wonderful couple into their growing relationship. Thank You.**

**I have some good news or bad news, depending. I'm starting a new job, actually in about 8 hours after this post and I don't know how it will affect my updating schedule or for that matter if my muse will abandon me completely. Hopefully not, but I'm just putting that out there just in case.**

**Hope you enjoyed this latest installment and I will be dragging the story back to it's original plot of the infamous party soon, once Drake heals up enough to get back to work.**

**Later**

**P.S. Please don't forget to Read and Review, it would be much appreciated. I am a review whore after all. LOL**

**Byeeee**


	3. Revelations

**Title:** Keeping One's Way

**Author: **Daxemon

**Fandom: **FAKE (yaoi)

**Pairing/Characters:** Drake/JJ

**Rating:** M (for later chapters)

**Warning: **MAN ON MAN SEX – I can't say it any clearer people if you don't like it don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fake, but if someone was willing to steal it for me, I wouldn't mind. Otherwise it belongs to Ms. Matoh.

I would love to thank my wonderful beta **MENGA HORDE **who is doing a bang up job of beating my fic into great shape. THANKS!!

**Chapter 3 – Revelations**

"Well Mr. Parker, it looks like the bruising is mostly healed and the mild concussion has had no lasting effects so you should be able to go back to full duty as soon as tomorrow." informed the doctor. "But mind you those ribs will still make you feel a little stiff so don't overdo it at first. Which mans no tackling of armed criminals." warned the doctor sternly.

"Yes sir." Drake replied feeling duly chastised, but grinning all the less. The fact that he could go back to work the next day was a great relief. If he had to be stuck indoors for another day he would begin to climb the walls and the no sex thing had gotten old after the second day.

"I'll send Mr. Adams in." said the doctor as he was leaving.

"Thanks." then Drake remembered he wanted to ask the doctor something. "Hey Doc?"

"Yes Mr. Parker?" the doctor answered pausing at the door.

"When you say don't over do it, are there certain, maybe strenuous activities I can do as of say...tonight?"

"Like , Mr. Parker?" asked the doctor with a slightly suspicious yet knowing look.

"Well...Doc, the kind that involves a bed." Drake replied obscurely.

"Are you talking about sex, Mr. Parker?"

"Let's go with that." Drake said.

"Your ribs are healed enough that they shouldn't impede your movement too much. In the end the decision is yours Mr. Parker, but like I said earlier, in all sense of the word, do not _**overdo**_Detective." with that final warning and a raised eyebrow the doctor left, hoping that his patient would take his advice.

JJ walked in just as Drake finished buttoning his shirt. "So what did the doctor have to say?" JJ asked as he fixed Drake's collar.

"I can go back to work tomorrow."

"Really? That's great."

"He also said that there are other things that I can get back to sooner." Drake said pulling JJ into a light kiss and running his hands down JJ's back to come at rest on the pert swell of JJ's posterior, emphasizing his statement.

JJ gently extricated himself from Drake's hold and returned Drake's hands back to himself. "You did not ask the doctor if it was okay for you to have sex? Did you?" JJ asked in shock.

"Well not in so many words, but yeah. The doc got the gist and gave me the go ahead."

"Drake Parker you amaze me! You're worse than Dee!" JJ said in a huff as he turned to leave, also conveniently hiding the flush his face had taken on since Drake had informed him that their sex life was now reinstated.

"JJ wait!" Drake yelled as he hustled after his boyfriend, his body not completely cooperating with the sudden movement, it still being hard for him to make sharp adjustments, but he had every intention of working out the kinks before tonight.

After JJ dropped him off and headed to the precinct, Drake got to work.

It took him longer than he thought it would, thanks to a protesting body, but through sheer will and stubbornness born of a man deprived, it was done and with no time to spare as he thought he heard JJ coming through he front door.

JJ was relieved to finally reach his front door. His day had completely stressed him out. The latest case that was just dropped in their laps made him feel like he was running in circles. Although the rest of the CI unit was helping, they still had their other cases to deal with. Without Drake there to back him up, he felt like he was missing something. He liked the talent Drake had of looking at cases and spotting a detail that everyone else had totally missed.

Once inside JJ immediately noticed that Drake wasn't in the outermost part of the apartment and figured he was probably back in the bedroom.

"Dra-" JJ began as he entered the bedroom, but was stopped short in his tracks by the sight before him.

The bedroom had been transmogrified into what JJ could only describe as a room that screamed sex. There were a large cornucopia of flowers and unlit candles...everywhere. The centerpiece of the profusion was the bed, which had been wrapped in black satin sheets, matching the pajama bottoms Drake was currently wearing as he slid off the bed and walked over to where JJ was still standing mesmerized.

"Drake, what's going on?" JJ asked as he took in all that was before him. Drake shirtless and silk clad, was quite a site to behold, even though his right side still had a slight reminder of his run in with Chuck.

Drake continued on his path towards JJ, still without a word said. Reaching his lover he wrapped him in his arms and kissed him breathless, causing JJ's knees to go weak and forcing Drake to hold him up slightly. "Welcome home." Drake said after breaking the kiss and resting his forehead against JJ's.

"Wha-" JJ began again.

"Later." Drake said cutting JJ off and pulling him towards the bed, sitting and pulling JJ to stand between his knees.

Drake then proceeded to undress JJ, one delicious item at a time, until he had JJ standing before him completely naked and apparently ready for anything. Drake was more than willing to take JJ right where he stood, but he had gone through too much trouble and preparation to rush things.

"Well?" JJ questioned starting to fidget underneath Drake's intense gaze as it ran over his body.

Drake didn't realize he had been staring, but damn he loved JJ's body. JJ kept in shape religiously, which Drake completely appreciated and he was seriously going to do some appreciating tonight.

"Drake." JJ whined. "I wish you would stop looking at me like that." stated JJ.

"Like what?" Drake smirked lecherously, coming out of the trance-like state he was in as he drank in JJ's nude form.

"Like a cannibal about to sit down to dinner." JJ retorted.

Drake looked up at JJ. "Maybe that's just the case. Wait here." He said as he headed to the bathroom.

"But -" JJ began, but Drake had already walked away. _'What on earth is he up to? Well__,__ I know what he's up to, but what's with the flowers and candles and most of all the bed. I don't remember buying any black satin sheets. The pajama's, yeah, but not the shee-"_ JJ's rambling thoughts came to a halt when he felt something silky glide over his bare shoulders and settle around him. Looking down he saw it was the black satin robe that went with Drake's bottoms.

"Feel better?" Drake asked as JJ slipped his arms through the sleeves and Drake reached around JJ's waist to tie the robe closed loosely. _'It would soon be off again anyway.'_ Drake thought. "You ready for a hot bubble bath after a long day at the office?"

"That sounds phenomenal and perfect." JJ said leaning back into Drake, imagining sliding into a hot bath filled with his favorite scented lilac bubble bath.

"So come on then." Drake said, taking JJ's hand and tugging him towards the bathroom.

When JJ entered you could have knocked him over with a feather. Drake had out done himself. The bedroom had just been the appetizer.

The bathroom was aglow with what seemed like an endless number of candles, some even scented, lilac of course. The bathtub was filled with bubbles, the jets going at their lowest setting. Drake had also sprinkled lilac and rose petals all around and in the bath. The flower theme had also been done in the bathroom, but to a smaller extent, probably because of all the lit candles that seemed to be on almost every marbled surface. The soft glow that was reflected caused the bathroom to have an ethereal feel, much to JJ's delight. He even noticed Drake had and ice bucket next to the tub with champagne chilling and a bowl of strawberries next to that; it was all so overwhelming and amazing.

Slowly JJ turned to look at Drake. "When?...How?" he asked stunned.

"No questions." Drake said approaching JJ and slipping the robe off and guided him over to the bath, making him get into the water.

'Ahhhh heaven.' thought JJ as he slid into the warm water, the jets gently running across his skin, easing the tense muscles in his body. After settling in he looked over and watched as Drake, with his back to him, slid out of the satin bottoms and bend over to retrieve them as well as the robe. 'Ahhhh heaven.' JJ thought as he got an eyeful. Drake really have a delicious looking ass, it just made him wanna sink in his teeth. Then a thought occurred to JJ, he had never tried rimming Drake, he's always though that he would be put off by it. _Although_ Drake did prove himself to be an excellent lover without much prompting from JJ. 'Maybe tonight would be the perfect time.' JJ decided as Drake finally slid into the bath behind him.

"Here you go Mr. Adams." Drake said, handing JJ a glass of champagne.

"Thank you very much Mr. Parker." JJ said accepting the proffered glass.

"Strawberry?" Drake asked as he plucked one from the bowl and fed it to JJ.

Sighing with pleasure JJ leaned back against Drake enjoying the pampering and wonderful feel of Drake's slick naked body against his, nothing could be better.

"I can't believe you did all of this." JJ stated.

"Believe it, you deserve it." Drake said reaching for another strawberry.

"It's moments like this that make me want to scream to the world that I love you and how lucky I am to have you. _This_ is why I want to have our anniversary party." JJ said thoughtfully as he looked around the bathroom.

"Party?" Drake asked distractedly as he poured more champagne, trying not spill any or worse yet drop the delicate flute it was resting in. He hadn't caught most of what JJ had said, mainly the word "anniversary".

Drake felt JJ suddenly stiffen and pull away from him, turning and looking at him. "You forgot?" JJ asked his face already clouding over with anger and something else. "I thought you said you would think about it?" JJ asked looking angrier by the second.

Drake took one look at JJ's face and knew he was in deep, deep trouble. _'Aw shit.' _Drake thought as he saw that telltale tick in JJ's jaw that left no doubt JJ was furious. "I was, I am." Drake said trying to sound sincere and failing miserably, while trying to figure out how the hell to salvage the sinking ship that was their romantic evening.

"Riiight." JJ said sarcastically. "You think I'm a idiot don't you, about this party. The flaming homo wants to show everyone the straight boyfriend he landed and rub their noses in it, huh?" JJ began to rant.

"JJ-" Drake tried.

"All I hoped for was for you to think about it. Did you think that if you patronized me and waited me out the gay boy would either come to his senses or time would just run out? Is that it Drake?!"

"No! JJ-" Drake did his best to try and get a word in edgewise, but when JJ went off on one of his rants, it was almost impossible.

"Well do what you want. Take your candles and flowers and champagne and even your stupid strawberries and...and GO TO HELL!!" With that JJ shoved the glass he was holding into Drake's unoccupied hand, got out of the tub and stormed out, snatching up a towel on his way out and leaving a trail of water as he headed toward the bedroom.

"JJ!" Drake yelled, but he was already gone.

_'What on earth was that about?' _wondered Drake, it couldn't just be about the party. JJ seemed a little too upset. Drake placed the still full champagne glasses down and got out of the tub. Disregarding grabbing anything to cover himself, he marched into the bedroom, ready to do battle. He had no intention of letting all his hard and painful work go to waste. He would be damned if that would happen!

As soon as he entered the bedroom Drake suddenly felt himself being smothered by another human being and kissed senseless. Drake's body automatically responded before his mind balked in confusion at the quick turn around of events. Drake was never on to turn down an open invitation, but this one he had to decline and find out what the hell was really going on with JJ.

"JJ?" Drake said gently pulling said man off of him.

"I'm sorry." JJ said in a rush, unable to look at Drake, which Drake didn't like one bit. JJ had always been able to look him straight in the eye, from the day they were partnered.

"Come here." Drake said grabbing JJ by the wrist and dragging him towards the bed.

"DRA-AKE!" JJ yelped as he felt himself being thrown onto the bed.

Kneeling over JJ and pinning his hands on either side of his head, Drake had no intention of letting him up until he spilled the beans. "Now talk." Drake demanded.

"What?" JJ asked, seemingly confused.

"Don't "what" me. First you flip out on me; the crap that came out of your mouth was unbelievable, and now you're apologizing. You're either bi-polar or something is seriously wrong. So talk." Drake demanded once again.

"Drake stop being crazy and let me up. I really am sorry. I know I promised I wouldn't get my hopes up, but I nearly ruined everything you did and I'm sorry." JJ stated, still not making eye contact.

"Not gonna talk? Alright." Drake said absolutely disregarding all that JJ had just said. Drake knew there was a spot on JJ's neck, near his pulse point, that was very susceptible and not just to pleasure. Slowly Drake leaned forward.

"Drake?" JJ questioned as he watched Drake come forward, wondering what he was up to now. Suddenly he felt Drake clamp down on his neck and a sharp pain shoot down his shoulder and chest as Drake bore down. "OWWW!!"

" 'alk." Drake ordered around his mouthful.

"Huh?"

" 'alk!" Drake said increasing pressure.

"OWWW! OW! OW! OW!" JJ yelped, feeling his muscles quiver and twitch at the pain.

" 'ALK!!

"Drake-" JJ began, but when he felt Drake bear down again, he decided it would be a good idea to give in to his demands. "OKAY! OKAY!" he shouted.

Releasing JJ, Drake sat up. He knew what he had just done was pretty juvenile, but it worked, he hoped. "Good. Now what was all that "homo", "gay boy", "straight boyfriend" shit all about in there?" Drake asked as he let JJ up, sitting off to the side.

Sitting up JJ rubbed his neck and wrists, obviously buying time which worried Drake all the more.

"I was just upset, that's all." JJ answered.

"Bullshit." Drake deadpanned. "There are many places on your anatomy that are way more sensitive than your neck, so I suggest you talk. Remember I grew up with two sadistic older brothers, they taught me well." Drake said looking at JJ, a small menacing smirk playing across his mouth.

"Stop kidding around okay. I overreacted."

"JJ."

"Drake. Come on." JJ said inching away.

"JJ. One."

"Drake. This is childish."

"Two." Drake continued.

"Dra-!"

"THREE!!"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!" JJ exploded.

"THE TRUTH!! Drake shouted back. "The truth." He said softer as he saw JJ bring his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Drake knew that position. JJ only sat like that when he was really upset and stressed. Drake had once asked him about it and JJ said it was a hold over from when he was a kid. When his mom used to comfort him, she would bundle him up into her lap and he would curl his legs up and she would sing to him. _'Kids could be really cruel if you looked different.'_ he remembered JJ saying.

"The truth?" JJ murmured. Staring off blankly, then slowly bringing his azure gaze to lock with Drake's gray worry filled ones. _'God he loved him.'_ JJ thought, his heart cramping in his chest at the thought of loosing him. Drake deserved the truth and let the chips fall where they may.

"Yes JJ, the truth." Drake encouraged.

"The truth is you've never been with a man before me. You've always dated women exclusively...and one day you may again." JJ said eyes unwaivering, begging for Drake to understand.

JJ saw the confusion play across Drake's face before that sharp detectives mind of his latched on to what JJ was saying.

"Jemmy, you don't think-"

"It could happen." JJ said getting off the bed, rubbing his writs nervously. "One day it could happen." JJ said as he began to pace adjusting the towel he had hastily thrown on.

Drake watched in stunned silence as JJ paced, digesting what he's just heard and listening to JJ ramble anxiously.

"You'd probably be married now if Marissa hadn't broken up with you. Maybe even have a kid, which will never happen now. You'll eventually realize what you really want and...and..." JJ stated with his back to Drake, his thoughts freezing him in place, ending his nervous pacing. "...and leave." JJ finished silently.

JJ abruptly felt himself being twirled around, coming face to face with Drake.

"You're an idiot. You know what I think? This party was kinda like insurance wasn't it? The fact that I was hesitating was proving out that little twisted theory of yours, right?" Drake asked, getting confirmation from the look on JJ's face. "You're a smart detective Jemmy. You of all people should know that a party could never be insurance for anything. If I ever decide to do something as boneheaded as to leave you. … there honestly wouldn't be a damned thing you could do about it, short of shooting me. Do me a favor, if anymore ideas this stupid ever creep into your head again, please talk to me instead of torturing yourself." Drake said conking JJ soundly on the head with his fist. "Okay?"

"Okay." JJ agreed meekly, before he felt the towel he was wearing yanked away and then being kissed like there was no tomorrow. Every inch of Drake's toned body was being pressed flush against his, setting his senses on fire, before he felt Drake break the kiss.

"I love you JJ and I do believe that you _would_ have to shoot me to get rid of me. It took me too long to come to my senses and realize that I wanted and needed you." Drake said as he guided his hands down JJ's back, over smooth delicate skin until he reached his goal.

Taking a firm hold of JJ's butt, Drake lifted him up, JJ automatically wrapping his legs around Drake's waist. Reminiscent of their first night together. "This seems familiar." JJ stated smiling down at Drake.

"I love you JJ, don't EVER scare me like that again."

"I won't." JJ said, leaning down to capture Drake's lips in a sweet kiss as he was already being carried back into the bathroom to continue their evening from where it left off.


	4. Progression

**Title:** Keeping One's Way

**Author: ** Daxemon

**Fandom: ** FAKE (yaoi)

**Pairing/Characters:** Drake/JJ

**Rating:** M (for later chapters)

**Warning: ** MAN ON MAN SEX – I can't say it any clearer people if you don't like it don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fake, but if someone was willing to steal it for me, I wouldn't mind. Otherwise it belongs to Ms. Matoh.

_**A/N**__ – I would like to give great thanks to my __**BETA **__**Menge Horde**__. She does a gorgeous job getting my jumbled thoughts into something legible and consumable for you guys. Well sorry I took so long. A fractured foot can do that sometimes. I'm back now and I've finally reached the part of this fic that I've been working towards. I can't wait to start the next chapter. Again thanks to my BETA. She rocks!!!!!!!!!_

**Chapter 4 - Progression**

Drake slowly lowered JJ to the cool tiled floor, keeping a firm grip on JJ's nubile body, almost possesively. While slowly running his hands up and down JJ's back, Drake plundered JJ's delectable mouth. It felt so good holding JJ like this and the thought that one day that he would not want this never occured to him period. But the fact of the matter was that it had occured to JJ. Just thinking about it had Drake's mind reeling. _'How long had he suffered in silence.' _Drake wondered, his heart aching for JJ.

Drake knew that JJ probably still had lingering doubts and the party would go really far in calming his fears about.......well, everything. Drake truly wanted to be with JJ, he was admittedly a little irked by JJ's lack of faith in him, but he also understood how he felt period. Drake had already made up his mind that he was bound and determined to allay all of JJ's worries. How he was to go about that was another thing entirely. _'Well tonight could be a start, I will make sure that JJ doesn'tget the opportunity to worry.......about anything.' _Drake thought as he hungrily kissed JJ, slowly backing him to the glass enclosed shower.

Once inside Drake pulled away long enough to turn not one, but all of the shower heads that encompassed JJ's high end shower, surrounding them in a cascade of water, soaking and slicking their skin completely form head to toe.

Drake enfolded JJ back into his arms, enjoying the feeling of their wet naked bodies sliding against each other, he began nibbling a trail of kisses from JJ's shoulder towards the junction of his neck. As Drake made his way passed JJ's pulse point he could feel it fluttering wildl; grazing it with his teeth, causing JJ to gasp in surprise, causing him to arch closer, if that was even possible, seeing as how closely Drake was already holding him.

JJ's skin felt so good with all that warm water running all over it. Slick and soft, Drake could practically feel JJ's bodyheat radiating through the already heated water pouring over them. JJ's skin was flawless, minus the scar on his left shoulder and Drake couldn't get enough, running his hands or every conceivable inch of JJ he could reach as he gently abused the earlobe he had laid claim to as his prize. Once finished with JJ's earlobe, Drake made his way back down JJ's neck meandering his way to the hollow of JJ's throat flicking his tounge out and lapping at the water gathering there, the light caresses of his tongue sending small jolts of pleasure through JJ as it lightly made contact with his skin.

Soon Drake continued on his way down JJ's well defined torso, his muscles quivering and twitching visibly from the brushes of Drakes body against his, soft mewls of pleasure falling from his lips. Drakes hands were everywhere and soon they found themselves in the same place as his gluttonous mouth wich seemed to want to taste as well as devour JJ at the same time. As Drake latched on to a rosy nub with his lips and sucked gently, he slid his hand out until it made contact with which he had sought out, JJ's other nipple which was already achingly hard and sensitive to touch. As Drake pleasured the one in front of him, he slowly rolled the one his hand had captured, and lightly tugged on it, enticing JJ to arch into him wantonly, seeming to communicate with his body how much more he wanted.

Drake took JJ's reaction as encouragement and began to increase the suction incrementally until he felt JJ grab on to his shouder and let out a sound so sexy that it took all Drake's will to not take him right there.

_'God JJ is so freaking hot!' _Drake thought pulling himself back from the brink and trying to reign in his libido.

Realizing that things were progressing quickly Drake proceeded on his trip down JJ's body, raining kisses along his muscular midriff until he reached a very pink and swollen shaft that looked like if he even touched it, JJ would come. Oddly this actually brought a smile to Drake's face. It did his ego good to see that he could do this to JJ. It showed how much JJ really enjoyed his touch and Drake enjoyed having the freedom touch such a beautiful man.

Drake's hands which were casually resting on JJ's upper chest sensuously slid down JJ's body to come at rest on his hips just above his thighs, holding him in place. Unhurriedly Drake leaned forward taking JJ into his mouth sliding over the tip, allowing his teeth to lightly graze the skin as he flicked the tip with his tongue picking up the jewel of precum sitting there, eliciting a shout of pleasure from his lover, his erratic breathing becoming more so. Drake could tell JJ was close, the muscles in his legs were quivering uncontrallably.

Drake took JJ completely into his mouth and began a quick up and down motion, when he suddenly felt JJ grab his hair and give a sharp yank eliciting a groan from Drake from the slight pain, but he understood what JJ was conveying. Drake took his left hand from JJ's hip and just as he deep throated JJ he slid a finger deep into JJ's chanel, aiming and hitting his goal dead on. A stream of unmitigated pleasure, both vocal and physical, issued from JJ's body as he errupted deep inside Drake's mouth, who milked every drop of cum from him.

After JJ's spent member slipped from his mouth, Drake wasn't surprise when JJ suddenly joined him on the floor of the shower. JJ slid down the tiled wall, panting and coming down from his post orgasmic high, .

"I always love it when you do that." JJ slurred with a tired lopsided grin plastered on his face as the shower spray washed over them.

"I'm not done with you yet." Drake murmured, just before he stood taking JJ with him, putting JJ over his shoulder and turning off the shower. After exiting the shower Drake made his way over to the still bubble filled bathtub. Carefully placing JJ into the tub, Drake climbed in, pulling JJ over, so that he was now straddling Drake, shamelessly enjoying the way their lower bodies glided against each other in the lilac scented water.

Drake soon pulled JJ into a soft teasing kiss, while his mischievous hands got their fill of JJ's pert posterior, squeezing and massaging to his heart's content. With his hands now very busy, Drake's mouth began the task of now devouring JJ's mouth by sucking JJ's tongue into his and treating it like it was the last candy cane of the x-mas season.

It didn't surprise JJ he already had a raging hard-on with the way Drake was kissing him and grabbing his ass-ets, it was making his body burn up. JJ was surprised he didn't see steam rising off his skin.

Suddenly JJ felt one of Drake's busy not so little hands stop it's groping and one of the fingers from that hand sliding easily into his entrance, causing JJ to buck forward, his now renewed erection roughly brushing against Drake's already straining one. Soon there were multiple fingers penetrating and preparing him, oh so deliciously.

Feeling JJ's slick, wet body moving against his own so seductivelywas bringing Drake to the point of no return, _rather quickly _and _that _ he did not want, not until he was buried to the hilt inside of JJ's now well prepared body. Drake slid his hands downward, grasping JJ's thighs and pushing forward, making JJ come up onto his knees slightly. Drake then slid his hands up, gently placing them on JJ's buttocks where he carefully spread them as JJ slowly sat back, impaling himself on Drake's dripping, straining shaft.

JJ could feel his abdominal muscles twitch from the partial discomfort he felt. Drake was not small or average in that department by any measure in JJ's opinion. Following the consumation of their relationship, JJ had taken great pleasure in inspecting Drake's body from stem to stern, the stern being what really caught his interest.

JJ noticed that Drake was not only _longer_ than the average guy, but his girth, especially when aroused was quite above average. JJ knew size didn't matter if you didn't know what you were doing in bed, but Drake was a very skilled and attentive lover. JJ really enjoyed the sexual side of his relationship with Drake and right at that moment he was enjoying it quite thoroughly as he lowered himself once again onto Drake's shaft, immersing himself in all the delectable sensations that were swamping him as they made love.

Drake knew he wasn't going to last long, but he had to make sure he held out long enough until JJ was taken care of, before he went over that wonderful precipice himself. As Drake felt his control failing, he took his hand from JJ's thigh, wrapping his fingers around JJ's pink stiff member as it bobbed out of the water and soon had JJ screaming his release. Watching as JJ orgasmed was quickly pushing Drake to his breaking point, but it was feeling the inner walls of JJ's passage clamp down viciously as he climaxed that utterly destroyed any restraint Drake had left. Moaning his own release, Drake came, his whole body vibrated with it, even causing him to break out in goosebumps as it took him.

JJ limply draped himself across Drake as the last tingles left his body. "mmmmmm." JJ purred as he rested his head on Drake's shoulder. "That was...that was...what was that?" JJ asked impishly.

"That was incredible, is what that was." Drake stated, his voice thick and low as he chuckled.

JJ smiled at the sound of Drake's voice. He'd also picked up, during the course of their new relationship, the fact that after a relatively aerobic or satisfying bout of lovemaking, Drake's voice seemed to drop at least two octaves into a lower register. JJ didn't mind it at all, he thought at those times Drake sounded extra sexy, also he used it to gauge how satisfied Drake was, which translated to how long a rest period he had before they were at it again.

JJ also discovered that his wonderful boyfriend was a sexual fiend and whenever they had sex, three times was not an exception, but the rule. This was one rule JJ didn't mind at all, it only interfered if things got hot and heavy in the morning. "Morning quickie" was not in Drake's vocabulary or repotoire and their were a few times there that they just basically skated into the precinct a scant few seconds before they were officially late, under the very watchful eye of the Chief.

"You really did outdo yourself, you know, Drake." JJ murmured as he looked at the flickering candles, his head still resting on Drake's shoulder.

"Like I said you deserve it. I love you JJ." Drake said kissing JJ's forhead. "Now let's go get cleaned up."

"What no three times the charm?" JJ said incredulously, using his phrase for Drakes habit.

"I didn't get those sheets just for show you know." Drake stated as he got out the bath and headed back over to the shower with JJ in tow.

"Oh you had me worried there for a second." JJ laughed.

Hearing JJ say that reminded Drake of what JJ had revealed earlier and he felt a pang of regret go through his chest making him stop his forward movement.

"Drake?" JJ asked, curious, his laughter cutting off as he noticed Drake had abruptly stopped moving. Just as abruptly Drake turned around and kissed him soundly, taking his breath away.

"You know I love you? Right JJ?" Drake asked softly as he looked at JJ intently.

"Of course Drake. Look I'm sor---" JJ began, but was cut off by another sound kiss, before Drake continued on his way to the shower, washing JJ and then himself.

Afterwards, he solicitously dried both their bodies before wrapping JJ back into the black satin robe and donning the matching pajama bottoms he had been wearing. He then sent JJ packing into the bedroom with explicit orders to get into bed and not to move. Drake went around the bathroom blowing out candles. After he was done he grabbed the remaining champagne and strawberries before he headed to the bedroom.

While Drake was busy in the bathroom, JJ sat on the bed, his legs drawn up under him, anxiously worrying the belt of his bathrobe, his mind going round in circles. Thoughts of whether or not revealing his fears, although unwillingly, was the right thing to do. He was so caught up in his thoughts, that he didn't even notice Drake walk into the room, until he was unexpectedly pushed down onto his back.

"No you didn't make the wrong decision to let me know about how you felt JJ."

"Wha-, how?" JJ stumbled.

"Because I know you too well." Drake informed JJ as he leaned over and captured his lips in a soft kiss and then proceeded to wipe JJ's mind clean of any thoughts for the next couple of hours as he ravished him form head to toe.

The next morning Drake happily went back into work with a pep in his step and an exhausted JJ in tow. As the morning progressed people drifted in and out of their office, either to drop off paperwork or welcome Drake back. When Dee and Ryo finally wandered in it was only about another forty-five minutes before shift end and Drake had a little something on his mind that he needed to talk to Dee about.

"Hey Drake!" Dee shouted exhurberantly as he walked into the office with Ryo right behind.

"Hey JJ, hey Drake." Ryo greeted.

"Hey." replied JJ as a yawn escaped him.

"Wow JJ you looked wiped." Ryo stated coming to stand by his desk.

"Just a long day that's all and I didn't sleep very well last night." JJ explained.

"So Drakey boy here kept you up late did he?" Dee stated completely without tact and was rewarded with a glare from both Ryo and JJ. Of course with one glance in Drake's direction showed he wasn't phased in the least, which actually annoyed JJ to no end. "Well anyway, Ryo and I would have been in earlier to welcome you back Drake, but we had to go out on a call. Nasty one too. We made some headway and now we're headed home. I'm beat." Dee Stated as he dropped down in one of the extra chairs in the office.

"Well maybe you should get going then." stated JJ tightly.

"I would if I could, but we have to report to the Chief about what we found out on that same case, before we get cut loose." Dee informed JJ.

"He's in with the Commissioner right now." Ryo added.

"Which translates into smoke break. Ryo lemme know when the Chief comes out of dragon breath's office. I'll be on the roof." Dee said as he stood and sauntered out the office.

"Sure Dee."

"Hey Dee wait up, I'll come with." Drake said as he hustled after Dee.

"I don't know how you put up with him at times." huffed JJ, watching as Drake and Dee turned the corner.

"I remember a time when nothing Dee did phased you JJ, in actuality he could do no wrong." Ryo stated with a smile.

"Well back then in my case love was not only blind, but suffering from a severe case of the stupids." JJ sighed.

"Ha ha ha ha. By the way how is it going with you and Drake? I know that run in he had with Chuck gave us quite a scare."

"We're doing fine. He doesn't look or feel like a train hit him anymore, but he still has a little more healing to go. The doc told him to take it easy so it's desk duty for about a week or two."

"Taking it easy is not something a detective like Drake can do easily."

"You said a mouthful." JJ said with a knowing smile.

_'I have a feeling that Dee was right about Drake keeping JJ up late.' _thought Ryo as he watched JJ.

"Dee I need your help with something – no – more like your advice." Drake said as he looked out at the city skyline and taking a final drag of his cigarette before he stubbed it out.

"Sure. Shoot." Dee said glancing over at Drake with one of his patented smirks and then back out to the city, still enjoying his cancer stick.

"Cute." Deadpanned Drake.

"What? It's not like you really were shot. Anyway, what's up?"

"Well......you see......how.......did........you know she's a nun and all and you....." Drake said, uncharacteristically tripping over his words.

Turning so his back leaned against the rough wall, Dee tilted his head back and took a long drag from his cigarette as another smirk slid across his face. "Well I'll be damned."

"What?" Drake asked suddenly pulled away from his jumbled thoughts.

"Drake are you asking me how to come out to your family?" Dee asked, tilting his head sideways so that his green cat-like eyes were trained on Drake with a sharpshooter's intensity.

"What if I am?" Drake said fidgeting slightly, but not backing down.

"Well I'll be damned."

"Will you stop saying that, please." Drake said, almost regretting initiating the conversation.

"Well sorry to disappoint you, but Penguin kinda already figured out which _ways_ I swung, almost before I did and it didn't hurt that she caught me with a different guy or girl making out in my room sometimes.....okay a lot of times. She treated it like any normal teenager acting on his hormones. She knew I liked girls _and_ guys. Unlike you I never really had to got through the whole great uncloseting and I hate to tell you that JJ was out the closet since he was about ten. So no help there. Ryo is also a lost cause because his aunt actually said to him that he and I would make a great couple, so she clearly already knew which way Ryo swung. Hate to say it dude, you are on your own." Dee stated patting Drake on the shoulder.

"Shit." Drake murmured, looking crestfallen.

"My advice dude is not to sell your family short. Maybe have some faith in them. If you really want to go through with this, I suggest you come to terms first with what the fallout is going to be like and understand what you will lose or gain by doing it. JJ must really mean a lot to you?"

"More than you know." murmured Drake looking out at the city again, the sun was starting to set.

"Suprised yourself there didn't ya?" Dee said as he grinned.

"What's with the self serving grin?" Drake asked, looking at Dee and suddenly feeling very annoyed.

"I just love it when I welcome new members to the dark side."

"Idiot." Drake said smacking Dee up side his head.

"Hey! Watch the hair!" Dee said just as his phone alerted him he had a text from Ryo. "Well it looks like the badger is available." Dee said as he headed to the door. "Coming?"

"Nah. I'll grab another smoke."

"Well hope everything goes well for ya, if you decide to go through with it, you know."

"Thanks."

"Later." Dee said as the door closed behind him.

Turning back towards the view Drake wondered if he should really give his parents and four siblings, all _Irish Catholic_, the benefit of the doubt about him suddenly announcing that he's bi-sexual. How could he tell them that he has been dating his _male_ work partner for the last year and would like them all to acknowledge their relationship at a party that basically screams it in their faces. "God help me." Drake groaned as he pictured the melee that would ensue. He _had_ to do some damage control before hand. He was going to have to call a Parker family meeting if he was really going to do this _and_ he was not looking forward to it. Honestly he was afraid he would lose his family over it and wasn't sure if he was ready for that, but JJ was worth taking the risk.

"Drake?"

"JJ. What are you doing up here?"

"When the Chief came to get Ryo and Dee, he took one look at me and told me to get my ass home to get some rest and to take "that beat up partner of mine with me". I guess he meant you. Partner." JJ said coming to stand infront of Drake with a small smile on his face.

_'Damn. Why does he have to be so damn adorable?' _Drake thought just before he captured JJ's lips in a soft kiss. _'Guess my family is in for a little announcement.'_

"Let's go home." JJ said as he pulled out of the kiss.

Later that night as he stood in JJ's kitchen Drake made a very important call.

"Hey Ma? Yeah it's me."


	5. Steps

**Title:** Keeping One's Way

**Author: ** Daxemon

**Fandom: ** FAKE (yaoi)

**Pairing/Characters:** Drake/JJ

**Rating:** M (for later chapters)

**Warning: ** MAN ON MAN SEX – I can't say it any clearer people if you don't like it don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fake, but if someone was willing to steal it for me, I wouldn't mind. Otherwise it belongs to Ms. Matoh.

_**A/N**__ – I would like to give great thanks to my __**BETA **__**Menge Horde**__. She does a gorgeous job getting my jumbled thoughts into something legible and consumable for you guys. _

_Well_,_ sorry I took so long. REAL LIFE can kick your butt sometimes, but I'm back now and I've finally reached the part of this fic that I've been working towards. I can't wait to start the next chapter. Again thanks to my BETA. She rocks!!!!!!!!! And rolls too!_

**Chapter 5 - Steps**

_'What a beautiful city. Too bad I may never see it again after this weekend.' _thought Drake morosely as he stood on the precinct roof breathing out a plume of _'lung destroying toxins'_ as JJ was so fond of saying, whenever he watched Drake smoke.

"So, off to see the folks?"

Frowning thunderously, Drake didn't turn to watch as Dee sauntered over to stand next to him, his own cigarette in hand.

"Yeah." Drake murmured, his face relaxing a bit. Stubbing out his own half smoked cigarette, Drake buried his face into his folded arms on the cement ledge in front of him, releasing a morose sigh of resignation that showed how much he was _not_ looking forward to his impending trip back to his childhood home.

After speaking with his parents the previous night and letting them know that he wanted to call a family gathering and he needed them to contact all his siblings and that there were no exceptions to be made, unless it was life threatening, Drake called Dee for some morale support. Drake didn't think that he could do what he was planning this weekend, twice. Maybe not even once with the way his stomach was flip flopping and he hadn't even left work yet.

"So, does JJ know?" Dee asked, flicking ash off his cigarette and taking a long drag.

"Kind of." Drake mumbled into his arm.

"What? Does he or doesn't he know that you're about to come out of the proverbial closet to your entire family this weekend?" Dee asked turning to face Drake and putting his cigarette out under foot.

Sighing, Drake turned his head so that he could look at Dee. "He knows I'm going to go see my folks, but he doesn't know why. He thinks I'm just going to visit them for the weekend."

"So why the secrecy? I would think JJ would be the perfect person to tell. He would definitely have your back." Dee rationalized.

"Honestly? I didn't tell him just in case, when that moment comes, I completely chicken-out. Or worse, I **DO** go through with it and my family decides to disown me. You know JJ would totally blame himself. For now I'll play it close to the vest until I see where I stand."

"I feel ya." stated Dee nodding sagely in agreement. "Well more power to ya Drake. Hope it all works out for the best. Gimmie a call and let me know what happens." Dee said, slapping Drake on the back before heading back down into the precinct.

Drake knew end of shift was coming up and he dreaded each minute that passed, because it meant that he was that much closer to the time he had to leave for his family's place. He knew that by the time he got out to Islip, Long Island, most or all his siblings would be there already. Especially 'Cain & Abel', as he liked to call his twin older brothers, the bane of his childhood existence until they left for college, thankfully.

Drake suddenly felt a pair of arms slide around his waist from behind and immediately knew who it was and felt himself relax. "You know Dee I don't think JJ would like it very much if he caught us in such a compromising position." Drake joked.

"Actually I'm not too sure about that, it just may be a complete turn-on, to see two hot cops together." stated JJ with mild humor coloring his voice as he watched Drake turn to face him in mock surprise.

"JJ, was that you?"

"Who else? Oh yeah, Dee. So how long have you been stepping out on me?" JJ asked poking Drake in the chest.

"Umm let's see...." Drake said, contemplating thoughtfully, until he felt a punch to his mid-section that was non to light.

"Parker. Don't make me hurt you." JJ growled.

"Jealous much? " Drake said, smiling down at JJ.

"When it comes to you, everyday." JJ stated, looking into storm gray eyes that made him just want to fall into them.

"God you're sappy." Drake said as he captured JJ's lips in a deep, knee-buckling kiss. _'Please God let this weekend go well, for JJ's sake. Help me make his wish come true.' _ Drake thought as he kissed JJ deeply.

"Wow." JJ panted coming out of the kiss and swaying slightly. "That was some good-bye kiss. How long are you gonna be gone again?"

"Just the weekend. I'll be back Sunday night."

"I'll miss you." JJ said smiling and pecking Drake quickly on the lips. "You better get going."

"Yeah, if I wait any longer I'll hit rush hour traffic. I'll call you when I get out there. It shouldn't take more than an hour." Drake said, kissing JJ once more, then slowly going downstairs to grab his bag. JJ was on shift for another few hours so Drake's original plan of dragging him home and making sure to say goodbye properly was out. He was somewhat put out, but JJ had made up for it the night before – quite enthusiastically.

As Drake drove the twenty miles to his exit on the Long Island Expressway, his mind began to go over previous family meetings. There was when his sister Elizabeth, passed the bar exam and officially became a lawyer and also later when she announced she was having a baby.......alone. Drake wondered how his niece Claire was doing; he hadn't seen her in about a year, she was about ten now.

Then, when the twins graduated from medical school, Gregory (Surgeon) from Columbia School of Medicine and Matthew (Dentist) from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, with his own practice up in Riverhead. They had both won full Academic Scholarships from each school respectively. That family meeting Drake could have done without. It just gave "Cain and Abel" the opportunity to rub their success in his face. He even had to miss a few days out of his academy training, and it had definitely not been worth it.

Also, when his sister Abigail decided that she no longer wanted to be a Psychologist, but a Teacher. She started teaching kindergarten and ironically married a Psychologist, her college sweetheart.

The one gathering that Drake actually enjoyed the most was when he was nineteen. His parents called a meeting to announce the arrival of a new bundle into the Parker household – fifteen years after their last child was born. His mother had Daniel Abraham Parker when she was forty-three. Although he was already nineteen and well on his way to being on his own, Drake was thankful to have a little brother and no longer be considered the baby of the brood. Daniel was in his second year at Stony Brook University and Drake kept in regular contact with his little brother, who was a good kid overall – he just tended to be a little bit of a horn-dog after entering his second year of High School. Drake and his parents had to divert a few disasters when it came to fathers wanting to divest Danny of his life and certain appendages, when he was caught with their daughters in a compromising situation - repeatedly. Now that he was in college Drake kept more of an eye on him, since there was more opportunity for him to misbehave, but so far so good.

Before Drake knew it he was pulling into the long driveway to his old house where there were already three cars parked. Drake already knew the two Mercedes-Benz's belonged to Gregory and Matthew. _'Pretentious bastards'_. Drake thought viciously as he parked. Drake grabbed his overnight bag off of the passenger seat and steeled himself for what was to come.

As he closed the car door after getting out, Drake felt himself suddenly get pinned to the side of it in a breath stopping hug.

"DRAKE!!!"

"Hey Abi." Drake wheezed. _'Still the same, huh Abi.'_ thought Drake as his lack of oxygen was starting to really deplete. "Abi, can't breathe."

"Oh sorry. I'm so happy to see you bro!" Abi squealed in happiness as she released Drake.

_'Sometimes I wonder if she's really two years older than me.'_ Drake mused. Abi was always the high-strung sibling, she definitely picked the perfect profession, with her energy level, no five year old could wear her out. "Hey Abi." Drake said, finally able to greet his sister now that she had released him and allowed air back into his lungs.

"So I hear this was all engineered by you. This is the first one that you ever called. You've never done this, not even when you graduated from the academy. This must be really important. So what, are you getting married or something?" Abi questioned.

"Yeah, are ya , D?" said a voice from the front steps of the house.

Drake looked up and saw his sister Elizabeth coming down the stairs to join him and Abigail.

"Hey Lisbeth." Drake greeted his sister. "How's Claire?"

"Claire's just fine. She misses her Unckie D." Lisbeth said as she hugged him.

"Well you do live all the way in Albany. It's kinda hard to get out there on a whim." Drake explained.

"Well whatever. So what's this all about?" Lisbeth asked, her sharp gaze pinning Drake.

Drake hated being questioned by Elizabeth. It was bad enough that even as kids he could never keep anything from her, but her being a lawyer just added to her ability to get him to spill his guts. To avoid Elizabeth's piercing gaze, Drake suddenly found it imperative that he get his bag from where he had thrown it on the back seat. He couldn't tell – not yet – he needed to wait until tomorrow. "You guys will just have to wait until tomorrow, just like everyone else." Drake stated as he pushed passed his sisters to go inside, when he suddenly heard someone call his name.

"Yo D!"

Drake turned to see his youngest sibling walking up the drive from a taxi. "Danny, hey!" Drake greeted his brother as he reached him, engulfing each other in a brotherly hug.

"It's Dan alright, Dan."

"Whatever. Have you been behaving yourself?" Drake questioned ruffling his brothers hair good naturedly.

"Yes Daaaad." Danny drawled sarcastically shifting his bag to his other shoulder.

"So _Danny_, you still boinking everything in sight?" Lisbeth questioned sarcastically.

"It's Dan. And no, _Lizzy_, I'm not." Danny answered tensely, using her hated pet name, given to her by "Cain and Abel".

Drake wasn't the only one tortured by the twins. Elizabeth had them for the terrible two's, until Abigail was born. Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on your point of view, Abi was never burdened by their special brand of treatment. Elizabeth had to deal with the little terrors until Drake was brought into the world. The twins' attentions were acutely centered on Drake once he was of age to torture, and without his imminent death or a total psychological breakdown being the result of such attentions. By the time Danny was born the twins were out the house and living their own lives in college, but when they came to the house to visit when Danny was older, he was able to get an idea what Elizabeth and Drake had to go through when they were all kids.

"Well _Danny_ that's not what I heard from Dad today and I hear it may even be one of your professors. Upgrading? Or is it downgrading?" Lisbeth said snidely.

"_Lizzy_, you are quite mistaken and whatever Dad was told, I'll set him straight. You can even ask D. Right D?" Danny asked turning to Drake to back him up.

"Yeah Lisbeth. I think Danny....." Drake trailed off seeing the look his brother gave him. "...Dan." Drake corrected. "I think he learned his lesson the last time before he left for college, when Mr. Sanderson showed up here with a thankfully unloaded shotgun." Drake explained.

"Damn right I did." Danny agreed vehemently.

"So what. A leopard will never change his spots. Once a hornball, always a hornball." Lisbeth stated as she pushed passed her brothers, ruffling Danny's hair as she passed with a smirk on her face. "Good to see ya Danny. Stop boinking everything please, and if you don't, make sure you keep it covered."

"Ewwww Lisbeth. TMI...ugh." Danny gagged as he followed his oldest sibling into the house, with Abi turning to follow.

"You coming?" Abi asked as she turned back toward Drake, who was still standing there his overnight bag over his shoulder. "Drake?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Drake answered following his other siblings into the house.

After dinner that night Drake went straight to bed, not wanting to get interrogated by Elizabeth or the twins.

Slowly Drake came awake as his cell phone went off annoyingly. Reaching out blindly he tried to silence it, but he just succeeded in knocking it to the floor where it just continued to beep. Groaning, he finally sat up, his hair sticking up in every direction, showing he hadn't slept very well.

As a matter of fact he didn't fall asleep till about three a.m. After hearing how wonderful the twins' families were — that Gregory was expecting his third child, that Matthew's oldest of two was starring in their school play, that Matthew's wife just became Managing Director at her job — he felt depressed. Everything was so damned perfect for them, he could just picture their reaction at his impending news. Swinging his legs over the bed, Drake stood, bent over and picked up his phone. He had just shut off the alarm as a knock came at the door of his room. "Yes, come in."

"Good morning." said Drake's mom, Marie Parker, as she entered.

"Hey Ma."

"How did you sleep?"

"Okay."

"Really." she answered sounding unconvinced.

"Well to tell the truth. No I didn't sleep very well. I'm a little preoccupied."

"Is it about this weekend?"

"Yeah." Drake answered sitting back down on the bed.

Marie joined her son on the bed. "Drake whatever it is, it'll be okay. You have me and your father, all of your family you even have Greg and Matt."

Drake snorted when he heard that the twins would actually be understanding. "Matt and Greg. Come on Ma, we both know those two could give a flying fu-f-fig about my dilemma. Right?"

"Thank you for editing yourself and, believe it or not, your brothers love you. Yeah they can be a little abrasive sometimes, but when their family needs them to be there, they will come through. Believe me. They are my children."

"Ma, you say they're your children, but are you sure they weren't switched at birth with another set of twins, and you came home with a pair of Rosemary's babies?"

"Drake, stop it!" Marie admonished while getting up. "Now, get dressed and come downstairs for some breakfast."

"Okay." Drake answered as he watched his mother smile sweetly at him before closing the door. Drake really hoped that what his mother said was true, and that after tonight she would still smile at him just the same.

Drake went down to the dinning room to find that his mother hadn't lost her touch, she had always cooked as if she was feeding an army. All the food was set out buffet style – everything from scrambled eggs, toast (white and whole wheat),bacon (turkey and original), sausage, pancakes, and french toast. Drake loved all the choices, and happily filled his plate with healthy helpings of each. _'Mmmm, home cooking, there's nothing like it.' _ Drake thought as he cleaned his plate, knocked back a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and belched like a sailor.

"Crass as usual I see." said a voice from behind him. "That's our Drakey for you." came an answering reply in a similar baritone.

_'Well there goes my moment of contentment.' _thought Drake as his twin older brothers took seats on either side of him at the dining room table, setting down their own full plates.

"Good morning, Drake." Greg and Matt said at the same time, laughing at their timing.

_'It was.' _thought Drake rolling his eyes. "Morning." he replied, getting up to take his dishes to the sink.

The day progressed slowly, but Drake actually got to enjoy himself somewhat. He hung out with Abi, Danny, and Elizabeth for most of the morning in the family room, before they went out and played a little basketball in the driveway just before lunch. Greg and Matt even joined in so that they could have a three on three. At one point Matt threw Danny over his shoulder trying to get the ball away and giving Drake the opportunity to quickly snag the ball out of Danny's loose grip, making the game winning basket. After his triumphant shot he turned back to see all his siblings interacting loudly and happily. Abi and Lisbeth were trying to wrestle Danny away from Matt as Greg looked on laughing himself silly as he took pictures of the melee with his phone. Drake's heart clenched in his chest at the thought that by the end of the weekend all this could be a bitter memory. As Drake felt his emotions start to unravel, Marie Parker called her brood in for lunch, which was another buffet feast.

Afterwards Drake went upstairs to be alone.

Once in his old room Drake dropped down on his bed lay back and folded his arms over his face hiding the one or two tears that he let slip free before he reigned in his emotions. He couldn't believe how worked-up he was getting, he had to get his emotions under control or he would never get through this weekend. As Drake pulled himself together his cell went off. "Parker." he answered his voice a little raspy.

"Drake? Is something wrong?"

Drake felt his control slip a little, but pulled himself back.

"JJ?" he asked giving him the opportunity to clear his throat.

"Yeah. I was just calling to say hello. I know you've only been gone a day, but I really miss you. I know, I know......sappy." JJ laughed.

Sitting up Drake hunched forward hugging the phone close to his face and gripping his forehead with his free hand. "I love you JJ."

"Drake did something happen?" JJ asked worried.

"No. I guess all the nostalgia is getting to me. My brothers and sisters actually showed up too." Drake explained, his voice normalizing as he got full reign on his rampant feelings.

"Oh really? That's so great Drake. I remember the last time I saw _my_ sisters, it was loud and piercing and – well, that was just me." JJ joked.

"I could only imagine." Drake said, feeling like he didn't have to hold on so tightly to his control now. Drake's chest relaxed as JJ's voice flowed through him as he rambled away about his sisters.

"Are you having fun?" JJ asked.

"Actually yeah, I am." Drake answered and he realized that he actually meant it.

"What about "Cain and Abel"?" JJ asked using the nicknames for the twins.

"They're actually acting somewhat human. They haven't been complete douches." Drake informed chuckling.

"I'm glad to hear that. Damn, sorry, but I gotta go."

"Are you at work?" Drake asked surprised.

"Ah yeah. The chief asked if I could fill in for Marty, so that he could work with Narcotics today. They need his input on a case that he worked on a few years ago." JJ explained.

"That sucks."

"Not really, there is one good thing about it." JJ said softly.

"And that is?"

"It keeps me from counting the hours until you come back."

"You dope." Drake chuckled.

"I know. Miss you."

"See you Sunday."

"Sunday."

Looking down at his cell after hanging up, Drake actually felt better. The vice-like feeling around his heart had eased and his anxiety about talking to his family had faded to a dull roar. Drake knew in his heart that he could let his family know about him and JJ, it was just dealing with the aftermath that he wasn't to keen about.

A few hours later Drake found himself all to quickly on the precipice. As he helped Danny load the dishwasher after dinner, he went over in his head what he would say, but no matter how many times he re-worded it, there was no soft way to deliver the news. Basically all he was left with was to just spill the beans and let the chips fall where they may.

"Finally." Danny exclaimed, straightening. "If it wasn't for me and Dad we would be up to our elbows in hot soapy water."

"Yeah I remember when you and Dad finally convinced Mom that she should get a dishwasher after all these years."

"Yeah I told her that with the last human dishwasher leaving for college, where would she be? I know Dad sure as hell wasn't going to do them. I can't remember the last time I saw Dad wash a dish." laughed Danny.

"I know. Where is Dad anyway? He's been kinda quiet today."

"He's been mostly holed up in his nice new workshop out back. Tinkering with God knows what."

"Yeah I went out there earlier and he was working on a birdhouse or should I say bird mansion. The thing was huge." said Drake with a wry look on his face.

"You know Dad, he never does anything on a small scale." Danny stated.

"Are you boys done yet?" Mrs. Parker asked as she entered the kitchen with all the table linen's in hand, ready to put in the wash. "Dan go out and get your father please and let him know that it's time for him to come inside. After I put these to soak we're all going into the family room. Abi, Lisbeth, Greg, and Matt are already in there." Marie said from inside the laundry room, her voice slightly distant.

"Sure Mom." Danny answered pushing through the rear screen door of the kitchen.

After she was done Marie came out and walked over to her son, linking her left arm in to Drake's right and started leading him out the kitchen.

"Come on Drake, I can't wait to hear what you have to tell us." Marie stated as she pulled her reluctant, unbeknownst to her, offspring along.

_'Trust me you can wait.' _thought Drake as his mother led him into the family room where four of his five siblings sat.

Marie took a seat on the loveseat next to Abigail, the couch was taken up by Lisbeth and the twins. Drake sat down in the armchair across from the couch, trying not to look nervous and actually succeeding to his surprise. That is until Danny walked in with their father, who was still an imposing force and still had the ability to make his children nervous as hell.

Daniel Parker was not a small man in any form of the word. Daniel Parker worked as an Engineer/Construction Worker with the Teamsters for all of his adult life and that was evident from the bulky forearms and work worn hands.

"So son what is it that's got ya all worked up? You look like someone just poked ya with a cattle prod." Daniel asked as he shooed Abigail off the loveseat and sat next to his wife.

"Yeah Drake what's up?" Abi asked as she sat on the floor in front of her mother.

Drake could honestly say that if his heart beat any harder that it would burst out his chest. He could feel goosebumps all over his arms as seven sets of eyes watched him intently as they waited. Drake knew that he couldn't just sit there, the longer he drew this out the harder it would be, but he knew he couldn't just blurt it out, so he started slowly.

"Well it's about my current relationship." Drake stated.

"What, did you finally knock somebody up?" Lisbeth asked crassly.

"ELIZABETH CATHERINE PARKER!" Marie chided, looking utterly put out by her daughters tactless question.

"What! Don't be a prude Mom, it's a legit question."

"He's your brother, not a defendant."

"Whatever." Lisbeth said, waving off her Mother's reaction.

"Go ahead sweety." Marie encouraged with a smile.

"Thanks Ma, and no, Lisbeth, I didn't knock anyone up." Drake informed. "Anyway we'll be going on a year together in about a week."

"Congratulations sweety. We should celebrate." encouraged Marie.

"Well that's kinda the reason I'm here, Ma. The person I'm with wants to throw a party and would like all of you to come."

"So, I came all the way from Albany for a party invite that I could have gotten in the mail?" complained Elizabeth.

"Lisbeth has a point there D." Abi agreed.

"This can't just be about the party. There has to be something more. Right Drake?" Questioned Danny who'd also taken a seat on the floor like Abi.

"Sweety, is Danny right?" Marie Parker asked.

Looking at his mother Drake could feel his resolve crumbling and all his fears clawing to the surface, but he made himself continue. "Yes." Drake knew it was now or never. "You guys all know JJ right?"

"Yeah, so?" answered Lisbeth.

"Well...he's the one who wants to throw our anniversary party, mine and his, ours, together." Drake studied his hands as his throat threatened to close up on him, lowering his voice to just audible. "It's _our _anniversary party."

Drake sat there afterwards the deafening silence enveloped him. Sitting there Drake could actually hear his own heartbeat as it pulsed blood through his now seemingly stone-like body. _'God' somebody say _something_!' _ Drake screamed in his head, his eyes locked on the floor as he waited.

"I came all the way from Albany for this?/ It's about time!" said Lisbeth and Danny at the same time and looked at each other smirking.

"Congratulations Drake." said Abigail from the floor with a smile.

"We were wondering when you were finally going to realize. Took you long enough." chimed in Gregory.

"You can be really thick and mule headed, to the point you can't see what's right in front of you." added Matthew, seemingly annoyed.

It was now Drake's turn to sit in shocked silence. As his eyes traveled from sibling to sibling, his poor mind could not comprehend the words coming out of their mouths. Drake's brain felt like it was receiving the information, but all reversed and convoluted. His siblings couldn't actually be happy for him? Could they?

"Drake, sweety, are you okay?" Marie Parker worried, as it seemed her son may have gone catatonic.

"I don't get it - I - you - and...." Drake mumbled confused.

"DRAKE!" Daniel Parker snapped, which seemed to wake his son up as well as scare the bejesus out of everyone in the room.

"Daniel!" Marie chastised her husband for startling her so badly.

"Well the boy looked like he'd lost his senses for a minute there Marie. I was just trying to wake him up." Daniel explained grinning.

"That you did, Dad. Well, I know _I'm_ awake." Danny stated sarcastically.

"Not what you expected, huh Drake?" asked Abigail smiling.

Looking at his sister and then around at everyone else. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one." Drake stated, as his eyes came to rest on his parents, his mind full of questions.

"Go on Marie, put the boy out his misery. He seems to be wondering why he hasn't been disowned." Daniel encouraged his wife, with a crooked smile.

_'BULLSEYE!' _Drake thought.

Taking pity, Marie smiled at her son and explained. "Well sweety, we kinda all knew how you felt about Jemmy. It seemed you were the only one who _maybe_ wasn't aware of your feelings."

"No maybe about it, Ma. Denial ain't just a river, is it Drake." Gregory laughed.

_'Ass.' _thought Drake raising an annoyed eyebrow.

"Anyway Drake, whenever you brought Jemmy here with you it was really obvious how you felt about him and he about you." Marie continued.

"Yeah but those long lingering looks were a little trying on the ol' gastric system. There were times that I thought those sappy looks you would give JJ would fulfill my dream one day of an ulcer to rival all ulcers, and I've seen some beauts." Gregory said, his words rife with sarcasm.

"There were no long lingering looks." Drake snapped, feeling defensive.

"Dude don't let me pull out the home movies of the last five Parker BBQ's. Trust Greg when he says they were lingering looks, long ones, and you weren't the only one." Danny informed Drake.

"Long story short, your an imbecile who nearly let the love of his life slip through his fingers, because of some societal misconceptions ... now when and where is this shindig?" asked Lisbeth.

"Huh?" Drake asked still floored by his families reaction, or lack thereof.

"The. Anniversary. Party. When. Is. It?" asked Lisbeth stiltedly so Drake's poor muddled brain could understand.

"Oh, two weeks. I guess I'll have to give you guys the details. Oh yeah, it'll be kind of a special surprise for JJ that you'll be there."

"What do you mean you guess? JJ probably doesn't even know your telling us. Covering all the bases D? Just making sure that we give our blessing or maybe not. Talk about having no faith in us." Lisbeth snorted disdainfully as she got up and left still mumbling about Drake's lack of faith in his family.

"Well I guess that adjourns this meeting." Greg stated standing, then turning to Drake suddenly, "By the way D. Don't conveniently misplace our invitations." he said, indicating both himself and Matthew.

"Yeah. Don't make us crash the party." Matthew warned, then they both left chattering to each other.

_'DAMN! They're on to me.' _Drake thought, knowing that he would have probably done just that same thing.

"Congrats again D." Abigail said, then turned to her mother. "Come on Ma. I feel like making chocolate chip cookies."

"Sure Abi." Marie said getting up and giving Drake a kiss on his forehead as she passed.

Soon it was just Daniel and Drake. Father and son.

"Dad."

"Son. I guess your curious, huh?"

"I'm glad, but I have to admit a lot surprised. Especially by you." stated Drake honestly. "You haven't exactly said much though."

"Well Drake, remember your Uncle David?"

"Yeah."

"Remember his best friend, Samuel?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah. They're having their 50th in November." Daniel said, light grey eyes twinkling with mirth as he watched Drake's mouth fall open as his mind ran through all his childhood memories of his Uncle and Samuel at the different family events.

"YOU'RE SHITTING ME!" Drake exclaimed.

In the kitchen Marie turned to her daughter. "Sounds like your father told Drake about your Uncle David."

"Yeah, D is a little oblivious isn't he?" wondered Abigail out loud, then they both went back to the cookie batter.

"No, I'm not. When your grandfather caught them kissing one day in the backyard, he was none to pleased and told David that he could never see Samuel again. I was eight and David was sixteen at the time. I could barely grasp what was going on, but the one thing I did understand was the look on my brothers face when your Grandfather said that he couldn't see Sam again. It was like his world ended. Dad transferred David to another High School a week later. Two and a half years went by, then David left for college...and never came back home.

I didn't see him for over ten years and then one day, I'm in my third year at college and I hear "hey runt, you've grown". I was twenty and I never cried so hard in my life as that day. It turns out that Samuel waited for him and they moved in together after David and he graduated college. According to Samuel he'd been trying to push David to get in contact with Dad for years, but in the end he only agreed to meet with me.

It seems my reaction surprised him; by that point I had already figured out his real relationship with Samuel and I didn't care. I just wanted my big brother in my life. In the end your grandfather didn't see David until the day he died. I think David regrets that to this day.

I love you son and your life is your life, you choose to do with it what you wish. JJ is a good person and he makes you happy and thats all that matters. Also the look on your face was absolutely priceless." Daniel Parker said laughing as he stood. "Now I'm gonna go see how long I still gotta wait for those cookies. You coming?"

"No, you go ahead, but make sure Greg and Matt don't eat them all."

"Yup, I'll make sure 'Cain & Abel' behave themselves." Daniel said, winking at his son's look of shock at his use of the nicknames.

Drake sat in the family room for a few minutes before he got up and went upstairs. His legs felt like jelly and his chest felt like it was in a vice. Entering the room he calmly walked over to the bed picked up the pillow and screamed into it until he ran out of breath, his rubbery legs giving out, dropping him to a kneeling position next to the bed, panting, clutching a pillow and grinning like a buffoon.

"Feel better?"

Drake turned startled to see Lisbeth standing in the doorway. He watched as she walked in, closing and locking the door, then came and sat down on the bed.

After about a full minute of Lisbeth staring at him he couldn't take it anymore. "WHAT!" he snapped.

Without saying a word Lisbeth leaned over and kissed Drake's forehead like their mother did earlier and sat back.

"Elizabeth you're weirding me out." stated Drake, eyeing his usually taciturn sister warily.

"Do you love him?"

"What?" he asked confused as to what she meant.

"JJ, do you love him?"

"What's up with you?"

"Are you going to answer me or not?!" she snapped.

_'Now there's the sister he knew and loved.'_

"Drake, so help me!" Lisbeth threatened, grabbing a handful of his hair.

"OWW, OWW, OWWWWWW. Let go Lisbeth!"

"I asked a question and you will answer."

"FINE! LET GO!" Drake hollered, feeling Elizabeth release her vice-like grip on his head. "God, things never change with you." said Drake rubbing his now tender scalp.

"Well?"

"Yes...yes I love him." Drake admitted, a soft involuntary smile coming to his face.

"Then do me just one favor. Don't ever treat him like a dirty little secret, okay?" She said, then got up and left as abruptly as she arrived.

Drake knew what his sister meant and had every intention of carrying out her request. He loved JJ too much to do otherwise anyway.

The remainder of the weekend was less eventful, other than the fact that Matt and Greg kept asking the most invasive and creepy questions about his sex life. But Drake knew that came with the territory and thankfully, JJ did too. JJ was already like part of the family, now all Drake had to do was make it official.


End file.
